The Right Choices
by greymind
Summary: One shot dealing with CristinaBurke making difficult choices about their relationship. For more Bang fanfic and discussion visit the More Than Coffee board by googling More Than Coffee Invision but use the underscore symbol before and after the word Than


Two years together. One look started it, one conversation ended it. It had only been four weeks and it seemed like a lifetime since the night they broke up. They had reached an impasse in their relationship over marriage and children. He was settled in his career and wanted to start a family, their family, within the next two years. She was concerned with her career and couldn't commit to when it would be a good time to start a family. Even more hurtful to him was that she could not say that she would ever marry him. They had this conversation over and over again until finally they had it so often and so frequently without any resolution that there was nothing left to say. They had come to the mutual decision to break up. If she couldn't give him what he wanted, she loved him enough to let him find someone who could. He loved her more than he'd ever loved any women but he wanted the kids, the wife and the house. It was the life he'd imagined for years. They had decided it was for the best. Sometimes love was not enough.

They thought that making the decision to end their relationship would be the hardest part. They were wrong. Their hard times had just begun. He could not picture having his dream with anyone else. She had found little satisfaction in the career that was so important to her. She cursed the day she locked the door of the on-call room. Both were heartbroken. The pain etched on their faces could not be missed by anyone including each other. At the hospital, they spoke only to discuss patients and made every effort to avoid one another. He had asked how she was doing but soon stopped realizing she had dreaded the question. She didn't ask. They behaved with the highest level of professionalism to the point of frustrating all of those around them. They were a class act in their breakup just as they had been in their relationship.

Each night, he went home to his empty apartment. Their apartment but it wasn't theirs anymore. His apartment was the same as it had been before Cristina moved in. He was happy with it then but now it was empty. He tried to avoid being there. This had been the longest month of his life. He would look at the clock during the night and wonder what she was doing. He knew she had chosen to treat her broken heart by immersing herself in work. He'd tried that too. It had been a disaster because they kept running into each other and at night there were much fewer distractions at a hospital. He couldn't escape her. She was everywhere even in his dreams. The bed seemed so big now. He hoped they'd made the right decision. Had they been too rational? Was there a solution they couldn't see? This is the conversation he had with himself every night for four weeks.

The days she was feeling particularly sad, she had gotten into the habit of waiting until everyone else had left before she went to change out of her scrubs. Now, as she had done so many times before coming to Seattle, she had found comfort in solitude. There was no rush to leave the hospital. No rush to get home to anything. There was nothing to look forward to at the end of the day. No hugs in the parking lot, no cuddling, no trumpet playing, no coffee. Nothing. Even worse, she was still staying with her friends, which was driving her crazy. Her apartment would not be ready for one more week. Working all day with them then being together all night was too much. Somehow she never recalled feeling that way with him. It was never too much. What a waste. They were so much better together than apart. She fought her mind to stop it from drifting to him but found it ending up there countless times a day. Why had she chosen now to not be selfish? Maybe she should have tried harder to convince him that she was worth waiting for. That they were worth waiting for. Had she given up too easily? These were the thoughts that occupied her mind every night for four weeks.

She walks into the locker room at the end of the day. This was one of those days she that she waited for her friends to leave. She stayed late trying to exhaust herself. Sometimes that pushed him out of her head. She changes out of her scrubs and as she's about to close her locker, something inside catches her eye. Something she is sure that she did not put in there. It is a cup. She reaches in the locker her mind betraying her again by hoping that it is from him. Don't be stupid she tells herself. As she grabs it, she hears something scrape against the ceramic. Looking into it, she smiles seeing two things. A note and a key. It's her key. Could it be? She looks around and doesn't see anyone. Setting the cup down she opens the note with trembling hands…

_C,_

_I found your key. _

_Love,_

_B_

Her pulse is racing and she feels the tears welling up in her eyes as she reads the words again.

"We made a mistake." He steps out from behind the lockers. The strength of his voice disguises his fear.

She feels breathless at the sound ofhisvoice. Afraid to turn around she stands still with her eyes closed "We did." Her voice is steady. She is prepared for this. She's been hoping for this moment for weeks too scared to take the step herself.

He feels his body trembling as he leans against the locker sure that he is doing the right thing "There are things I can live without"

She turns towards him reminding herself to breathe. She isn't quite sure what he means. She hopes but is not sure and this uncertainty forces her eyes away from him.

He closes the distance between them so she is within reach "You're just not one of them."

With tears in her eyes, she lifts her head to see the love in his eyes and this amazing feeling washes over her. Once more, he is the cure for her pain and, in that moment, she too knows that she can live without those things that were so important to her just one month ago.

She steps away from him, grabbing her coat then his hand causing his face to light up in a brilliant smile "Let's go home."


End file.
